Reed musical instrument



ApE-EE 7 @360 H. w. PEDLER REED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed May 21, 1954 N V .EIVOR.

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Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES amanz PATENT QFFIQE REED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT tion of Indiana Application May 21, 1934, Serial No. 726,768

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to reed musical instruments, and particularly to the key action of clarinets.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a plurality of key mechanisms for controlling the low F or C key of a clarinet.

Another object of the invention is to provide three closely associated and cooperating key mechanisms for controlling the low F or C key of a clarinet.

A third object is to provide a plurality of key mechanisms for producing low F or C key of a clarinet, one of said mechanisms being connected with key mechanism for producing E or B natural.

Still another object is to provide a plurality of cooperating key mechanisms for producing low F or C key of a clarinet, one of said mechanisms being connected with the key mechanism which produces F sharp or C sharp.

Other and more specific objects of the invention are mentioned and described herein.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a plan View of a clarinet fragment which includes the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing all the keys in their released positions, which is the normal inactive position thereof;

Figure 4 is a similar sectional view showing the low F or C key pad closed; and

Figure 5 is a similar sectional view showing the same key pad closed by a different means.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views on the drawing.

Referring now to the details of the drawing the numeral l indicates a clarinet body which is provided with certain tone holes controllable by certain key pads or stoppers, as hereinafter described. The numeral 2 indicates a key spatule rigidly connected with the relatively short shaft 3 which is rockably mounted in the opposed pillars 4 rigidly fixed in the clarinet body I, said shaft extending longitudinally of said clarinet body. The shaft 3 carries a rigid lateral key pad arm 5 the outer end of which carries the key pad 6 which, as is well known in the art, is normally spring pressed out of contact with the clarinet body and which is adapted to close one tone hole to produce either low F or C, according to the register, when the shaft 3 is rocked by depression of the spatule 2.

The tone hole controlled by the key pad 6 may be closed by the same pad but by different actuating means than the spatule 2, and such means may comprise the shaft I3 rockably mounted in the opposed pillars If] and [4, said shaft having the key spatule I5 rigidly connected therewith adjacent one end thereof.

The shaft I3 carries also a rigid lateral arm [8 extending away from the pad 5, said arm I8 being arranged below and closely adjacent an arm [9 rigidly connected with the shaft 3, said arms 10 being maintained in operable contact with each other by an adjusting screw 22 mounted in arm I9, the point of said screw engaging a flat sur face or face on the arm l8. Thus, the depression of key spatule l5 will rock shaft l3, thereby tilting the arm l8 outward, whereby arm [9, carried by the shaft 3, is simultaneously outwardly tilted, the shaft 3 being thereby rocked, whereby the pad arm 5 is actuated to close the tone hole controlled by the key pad 6.

A third means for actuating the key pad 6 to close the tone hole controlled thereby is provided and may comprise the tiltable arm l2 rigidly connected with the rockable shaft 8 which is supported in the pillars 8 and Ill, said shaft having the depressible key spatule 'I rigidly connected therewith, the latter being desirably arranged below spatule 2 and spaced therefrom to permit ready depression of the latter. The shaft 8 is preferably arranged above the shaft l3, closely adjacent thereto, and arm l2, which is rigid with said shaft 8, projects laterally therefrom into close relation with the top surface of the key pad 6 but disjoined therefrom, being held in contact therewith by an adjusting screw 23 mounted in said arm. The outer end of the shaft 8 carries also a rigid lateral arm 8' which carries the key pad H which is adapted to close or control a tone hole in the body l to produce low E or B natural, according to the register, when said key pad, which is normally open, is pressed into contact with the instrument body by rocking the shaft 8.

It will therefore be evident that depression of the key spatule i will rock the shaft 8, thereby causing arm i2 to actuate the pad d to the closed position, and simultaneously actuating the key pad H to the closed position. When the key spatule l is released both key pads 6 and H will be spring pressed out of contact with the instrument body, as is well known in the art.

The shaft i3 is rockable by the key spatule l5 and said shaft carries a rigid lateral arm I6 which supports the key pad, or tone hole stopper,

I! which is normally spring pressed into contact to close the tone hole controlled thereby, and which tone hole when opened by outward movement of the pad I! will produce either F sharp or C sharp, according to the octave register.

Thus, it will be evident, when shaft I3 is rocked by depression of the key spatule I 5, that the key pad I! is actuated to open the tone hole controlled thereby simultaneously with the closure of the tone hole controlled by key pad 6 which will be closed by the movement of shaft arms l8, l9 and 5 as herein described. In the construction and arrangement of the parts herein described the shafts l3 and 8 are substantially parallel with each other, the former being disposed directly below the latter; and the shaft 3, which is much shorter than either of the said shafts, is disposed laterally of the shaft 8 and substantially parallel thereto. Also, the shaft I3 is much shorter than the shaft 8, one end of each of the shafts l3 and 8 being mounted in the pillar I0.

I claim:

1. In a reed musical instrument of the character described, a tubular body provided with a low F or C tone hole which is normally open, a rockable shaft provided with an arm having a pad thereon for closing said tone hole, and a second rockable shaft provided with an arm which projects into superimposed operative relation with said pad, but disjoined therefrom, and adapted to actuate said pad to close said tone hole independently of said first mentioned shaft.

2. In a reed musical instrument of the character described, a tubular body provided with a low F tone hole which is normally open, a rockable shaft provided with an arm having a pad thereon for closing said tone hole, and a second rockable shaft provided with an arm which projects into superimposed operative relation with said pad, but disjoined therefrom, and adapted to actuate said pad to close said low F tone hole independently of said first mentioned shaft.

3. In a reed musical instrument of the character described, a tubular body provided with a 10w F tone hole which is normally open, a rockable shaft provided with an arm having a pad thereon for closing said tone hole, a second rockable shaft provided with an arm which projects into superimposed operative relation with said pad, but disjoined therefrom, and adapted to actuate said pad to close said low F tone hole independently of said first mentioned shaft, and an adjusting screw carried by said second mentioned arm to close the gap between the latter and said pad.

4. In a reed musical instrument of the character described, a tubular body provided with a low F and a low E tone holes which are normally open, a movable pad for closing said low F tone hole, a rockable shaft provided with an arm which projects into superimposed operative relation with said pad, but disjoined therefrom, and adapted to actuate said pad to close said low F tone hole, and a second arm carried by said shaft and having a pad thereon adapted to close said low E tone hole simultaneously with the closure of said low F tone hole.

5. In a reed musical instrument of the character described, a tubular body provided with a low F tone hole which is normally open, a rockable shaft provided with an arm having a pad thereon for closing said tone hole, said shaft having a second arm extending away from said tone hole, a second rockable shaft provided with an arm which is arranged beneath said second arm of said first mentioned shaft and which is adapted to actuate said pad to close said tone hole by rocking said first mentioned shaft through actuation of said second arm of said first mentioned shaft.

6. In a reed musical instrument of the character described, a tubular body provided with low F and F sharp tone holes, said low F tone hole. being normally open, a rookable shaft provided with an arm having a pad thereon for closing said low F tone hole, said shaft having a second arm projecting in the opposite direction relatively of said first mentioned arm, a second rockable shaft provided with an arm which is arranged beneath said second arm of said first mentioned shaft and which is adapted to tilt the latter to rock said first mentioned shaft, and a second arm carried by said second rockable shaft and having a pad thereon which normally closes said F sharp tone hole, whereby rocking motion of said second rockable shaft simultaneously opens said F sharp tone hole with the closure of said low Ftone hole.

'7. In a reed musical instrument of the character described, a tubular body provided with a low F or C tone hole and also a low E or B natural tone hole, both of said tone holes being normally open, a movable pad for closing said low F or C tone hole, a rockable shaft provided with an arm which projects into superimposed operative relation with said pad, but disjoined therefrom, and adapted to actuate said pad to close said low F or C tone hole, and a second arm carried by said shaft and having a pad thereon adapted to close said low E or B natural tone hole simultaneously with the closure of said low F or C tone hole.

HARRY W. PEDLER. 

